Stepmom (1998)
71%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 8 wins & 7 nominations
Solid work from Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon isn’t enough to save Stepmom from a story whose manipulations dilute the effectiveness of a potentially affecting drama
Stepmom is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and question why you ever thought it was a good idea to watch a movie about divorce and death. But, if you can get past the melodramatic machinery cranking and groaning behind the curtains, you’ll be treated to some stellar acting from Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. Sarandon’s fiercely maternal performance will make you want to call your own mom and thank her for everything she’s done for you, while Roberts’ character will make you feel better about your own insecurities. Overall, it’s a lovely daydream that’s worth watching if you’re in the mood for a good cry.
Production Company(ies)
Alcon Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Sony
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Tappan, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for language and thematic elements
Year of Release
1998
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jul 25, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken, Lynn Whitfield, directed by Chris Columbus, written by Gigi Levangie, produced by Wendy Finerman, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, drama, PG-13, box office, $91.0M, reviewed by Jami Bernard, Jay Boyar, Richard Schickel, William Thomas, John Hartl, Joe Morgenstern, Rachel Wagner, Daniel Barnes, Laura Clifford, Todd Anthony, Dennis King, family, divorce, stepmother, fashion photographer, children, mother, loyalty, crisis, manipulation, sentimentality, illness, death, formulaic, Hollywood, production values, laughter, sobs, melodrama, struggles, adulthood, Home Alone, horror, MCU, Netflix, TV shows, streaming, anticipated movies, TV, renewed, cancelled, worst horror movies, careers
Worldwide gross: $159,710,793
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $293,091,825
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 514
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 31,962,031
US/Canada gross: $91,137,662
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $167,250,461
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 453
US/Canada opening weekend: $19,142,440
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $35,129,077
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 371
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $50,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $91,757,050
Production budget ranking: 449
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $49,411,172
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $151,923,603
ROI to date (est.): 108%
ROI ranking: 909
Susan Sarandon – Jackie Harrison
Ed Harris – Luke Harrison
Jena Malone – Anna Harrison
Liam Aiken – Ben Harrison
Lynn Whitfield – Dr. P. Sweikert
Director(s)
Chris Columbus
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Wendy Finerman, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (90) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (49)
It’s a lovely daydream, made lovelier by the fiercely maternal performance of Sarandon as a lioness protecting her cubs, and Julia Roberts as a mass of insecurity trying to measure up to impossible standards.
April 2, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Well, if unearned pathos is your cup of tea, drink up.
April 1, 2019
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Under Chris Columbus’ direction, they make a pretty but utterly misleading picture in which cheap sentiment is used to supply easy, false resolutions to agonizing issues.
April 1, 2019
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Roberts holds her own with a very attractive performance, admittedly given that hers is the character who is likeable, good-humoured and too good to be true.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
William Thomas
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The result is a cartoonish two-hour-plus soap opera of little distinction, played by actors who deserve better and should have known better.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
A disjointed hybrid of domestic comedy and mortal illness that might have been written by a support group of lobotomy survivors.
April 1, 2019
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
It earns its tears with great performances and good writing
January 22, 2021 | Rating: 7.5/10
Rachel Wagner
Hallmarkies Podcast
If you’re going to make children say such terrible things, you should at least back it up with a movie about divorce and death that is sincere and penetrating. In other words, the type of film that Chris Columbus wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.
October 8, 2019 | Rating: 1/5
Daniel Barnes
Dare Daniel
Stepmom is a piece of formulaic Hollywood product that’s barely redeemed by its three fine leads and top notch production values. It suffers in comparison to the similar, but far better, One True Thing.
April 2, 2019 | Rating: C
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews
Were it not for the stellar acting of Sarandon (the most infectious weeper this side of Brenda Blethyn) and Julia Roberts (irresistible as ever) the whole predictable enterprise would be too mawkish for words.
April 1, 2019
Todd Anthony
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Stepmom is highly effective filmmaking, eliciting its fair share of laughter and sobs, even though the least gullible moviegoers will be able to see all the melodramatic machinery cranking and groaning behind the curtains.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
Dennis King
Tulsa World
Though Stepmom has its ups and downs, it shows Columbus as a director who has graduated to adulthood after his two Home Alone hits without losing sight of the struggles of children.
April 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant…
Plot
Anna and Ben, the two children of Jackie and Luke, must cope with the fact that their parents divorced and their father is now with successful photographer Isabel. She does her best to treat the kids in a way that makes them still feel at home when they’re with their dad, but she also loves her work and doesn’t plan to give it up. But full-time mother Jackie finds Isabel’s efforts offensively insufficient and can’t understand that work can be important to her as well as the kids. The conflict between them is deepened by the sudden diagnosis of cancer, which might be deadly for Jackie. They all have to learn a little in order to grow together.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about Stepmom, but it does mention the solid performances from Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.
Chris-Columbus.jpg
